


The Courting of a Prince

by TheCourtSorcerer



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Amaimon x Rin, Anime, Courtship, Demons, Enemies to Lovers???, GASP, I just liked how it sounded as a title, Long, M/M, Mephisto pretends to not be cheap, No Smut, Non-Graphic Violence, Not Beta Read, Not Manga-Compliant, Rin actually isn't referred to even once as a prince in this, Secrets, Yukio actually does love his big brother, Yukio gets mad, amaimon has f e e l i n g s, and e m o t i o n s, au in the sense that Rin knows amaimon is mephs brother, bet, betrothal, hatred to affection, he's just rly bad at showing it, m/m - Freeform, mild violence, minor guilt, proposal, slight au?, somehow he succeeds, they know about Rin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27032689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCourtSorcerer/pseuds/TheCourtSorcerer
Summary: “Father and brother are so captured by you…” He mumbles, still holding the sucker aside, “I can see why now, you’re intriguing. Fun to play with. You put up a good fight, and don’t stop even when you’ve lost. Very desirable.”Rin was confused as to where this was going, but didn’t let his guard down. He was ready to fight at any moment. He was ready for anything—“It’s decided,” Amaimon suddenly says firmly, “I’m going to court you.”Okay—maybe not anything.
Relationships: Amaimon & Okumura Rin, Amaimon/Okumura Rin
Comments: 14
Kudos: 170
Collections: Blue Exorcist





	The Courting of a Prince

**Author's Note:**

> This is set sometime after Rin is revealed as Satan's son, but before (potential spoiler) Yukio 'comes into his power'. Not exactly sure when this is set, but yeah, enjoy! 
> 
> Also, yes, Rin and Yukio do know that Amaimon is Mephisto's brother in this and Yukio knows all about all of Rin's fights/enounters with Amaimon up until this point. 
> 
> Final thing, this is fanfiction of the Anime, as I have not read the books, so it is not necessarily manga-compliant (I really don't know enough about the manga for it to be manga-compliant, even if I wanted it to be, I only know bits and pieces).
> 
> P.S. Rin literally isn't referred to as "prince" once in this fic, I'm sorry, this was actually just a working title, I just decided I liked the flow of it and kept it.

Amaimon stared at the halfling laying defeated in front of him.

“You are interesting.” He tilts his head, his voice that typical monotone, “I like playing with you.”

Rin glared at the demon king sitting at his side and leaning over him. “Don’t talk to me like I’m some toy, I’ll—”

“You’ll what? You don’t seem to be in quite the position to fight anymore,” Amaimon cuts him off, “It’s a shame really, I was just starting to enjoy myself.”

“Bastard…” Rin growled slightly as he started to sit up. He didn’t understand why Amaimon hadn’t killed him… He had the perfect opportunity right there, yet, he just watched him. So still… So still, in fact, he didn’t even move when Rin started sitting up, instead he just watched as their faces grew closer. Rin, having not looked up yet, didn’t seem to notice, though.

“I could kill you here.” Rin tensed at these words; he knew it… Here it came. Right when he was too beat up to defend himself anymore… How pitiful. What came next, shocked him, though.

“But I won’t. You’re my favorite _toy_ ,” he used the word just to irk Rin, “I would hate to have to be bored again. If you were dead, I wouldn’t have anyone half as fun to play with.”

Rin looked up with a huff, finally seeing how close they were, but he was too annoyed to care. “I’m _not_ a _toy_ ,” he snapped, “Especially not to someone who has made it their life mission to kill me.”

Amaimon hums at this, raising a hand and slowly pulling a green sucker out of his mouth. _When did that even get there? Did he have that the whole time? How did I not notice that?_ Rin wondered to himself in confusion. The Earth King seemed to analyze the younger demon for a moment, seemingly empty eyes trailing over every inch of his face until they finally locked eyes.

“Father and brother are so captured by you…” He mumbles, still holding the sucker aside, “I can see why now, you’re intriguing. Fun to play with. You put up a good fight, and don’t stop even when you’ve lost. Very desirable.”

Rin was confused as to where this was going, but didn’t let his guard down. He was ready to fight at any moment. He was ready for anything—

“It’s decided,” Amaimon suddenly says firmly, “I’m going to court you.”

Okay—maybe not anything.

Rin blinked a few times, trying to process and fully understand what the older demon had just declared. “…What?”

Amaimon tilted his head at Rin’s confusion.

“I’m going to court you,” he repeated plainly, “You should feel special. Brother will be pleased to hear I’m courting another. He won’t be pleased when he hears who… Oh well, you’ve piqued my interest. I’m not one to give up easy.”

Rin still seemed a bit out of the loop, not quite getting what was happening. Court him? Ugh, what year did he think this was? Wait…

“Court as in—?!” For a split second, Rin thought he saw the blank faced demon grin, but it must’ve been his imagination, “No way in hell I’d ever accept _you_!”

Amaimon simply hummed at this, pointing the sucker that was still in his hand at Rin. “You will. Soon.”

Rin opened his mouth to spit an insult at the demon king, but as soon as his lips parted, there was a green sucker in his mouth. “You shouldn’t tell your friends; they’ll try to stop me...” Amaimon spoke instead, before stopping and staring at Rin for a moment as the sound of footsteps approaching reached both their ears, “You should feel special, I don’t like sharing.”

The Earth King let go of the stick of the sucker, leaving it in the younger demons’ mouth, before suddenly taking off. Before Rin could even realize what had just happened, he was gone. He took a deep breath, and that was when he noticed something tasted strange... The sucker! That stupid candy was still in his mouth! Color flooded to his cheeks as he quickly took the shared sucker out of his mouth, the taste of green apple still lingering on his tongue. If his tail hadn’t been tucked into his shirt again, it would be flicking wildly back and forth behind him. That damn demon…

“Rin!!! _Riiiin_!!!” The voice suddenly rang out, bringing Rin back to focus on reality. He looked up and around, in search of the voices source, until his eyes land on his friends who were all rushing to him.

“Rin, are you okay?!” Shiemi dropped down to her knees beside him to analyze his wounds and take care of them with Nee’s help, despite knowing his demonic healing would kick in any time now.

“Yeah, Okumura, you look like shit,” Suguro suddenly added before snapping, “This is why you have to stop going off alone! Son of Satan or not, you’re an idiot!”

Rin glares slightly at the insult and goes to retort, that he had in fact been trying to save their asses by luring Amaimon away, when Shima suddenly pitched in,

“Is that candy? When did you have time to get candy while we were fighting?? Where did you even get it from?” His pink haired friend looked around in confusion at their location. They were in the middle of the woods and, really there was no way for Rin to explain this… He could, of course, _tell them_ about Amaimon and what happened—after all they would try to stop him (after laughing at his situation, of course) but… For some reason, a part of him told him not to. He didn’t know why, but he listened to that part and just shook his head.

“I’m fine, Shiemi, thanks… Don’t go wasting energy on me, I’ll heal up real quick!” He gave her a big, stupid grin as he subtly tossed the sucker away, “And for your information—” he glared at Suguro, “—I didn’t just go off on my own for fun. I was trying to lead that stupid green demon away from you.”

“Oh, so you thought you’d fight him on your own, now?! Idiot, a good exorcist never fights alone!” Suguro snaps back, masking his concern for his friend with anger, “He could have killed you this time, you know that?!”

Rin nodded, grinning again. “But he didn’t,” he hummed before lying, “In fact! _I_ won~!”

His friends all shared an unbelieving look at this, and this time Izumo spoke up.

“Ah, right, as we all should know, the one left on the ground, severely wounded with his weapon cast aside, clearly fighting to even sit up properly… Is always the winner,” The girl says, oh-so-sarcastically, earning a glare from the spawn of Satan.

“Okay, so, maybe I didn’t, but I still got him away from you, and I’m alive, so technically I won in a way!” Rin snapped back. Did he really though? Did he win? He didn’t chase off Amaimon… He didn’t even manage to beat him this time (which he thought would be easy after the time he thought he’d killed the older demon). In fact, he let Amaimon get the upper hand and pin him, and he got a real beating from it too… And now suddenly he’d going to try and win his affection like this was some game?! What the hell?! As if he could!! As if Rin would ever fall for that stupid demon!

…Right?

Ah, fuck, now he’d gotten inside his head…

It was quiet, as Suguro and Rin exchanged glares while Shiemi tended to his wounds as she had insisted, until Shima suddenly broke the silence with a question that made Rin’s face unintentionally light up in embarrassment, “…So that’s a no on where you got the candy?”

* * *

It was later that night that when Rin sat in his room alone, Yukio being away on another mission, that he started to really think about what the older demon had said. At least, he thought he was alone. He slowly started to sit down at his desk, sighing to himself.

“Court me… Ha, I’d like to see him try…” Rin murmurs to himself as he doodles on what was supposed to be his homework. He paused, his tail flicking slightly behind him.

“…I wonder what he’ll do…” He refused to acknowledge the hint of excitement in his voice. He’d never been courted before, especially not by someone who was supposed to be an enemy.

Rin leaned back at this and looked to the ceiling as his mind began to wander. Was he really an enemy though...? If he really wanted to kill him, he surely would have already, or at least he would have tried harder to, Rin would have thought. Sure, there was a few times he really went for him, but most of times he just threw him around a bit, said he had fun, and left.

“Fun…” Was that really all it was for him? Was it just to fight to him? He did begin by saying he wanted to play a lot… Maybe fighting _was_ just a game to him. It would explain a lot. Though, it did annoy him how Amaimon treated him like a toy he could use whenever he is bored, but on the same hand—he was somewhat prideful in knowing that Amaimon found him most _‘fun’_ to fight. He knew he was strong, but still, to know that he could hold his own pretty well against a literal demon king made him feel good about his abilities. Plus, he did have to admit, it _was_ pretty exhilarating to fight him. They were well matched, and Rin actually had to put up a fight against him—he wasn’t necessarily very weak or easy to take down. He had to admit he enjoyed the challenge. Not that he would let anyone but himself know that.

None of that though, explained why the demon suddenly decided he was going to try and court Rin. It didn’t make any sense. All he ever wanted to do was fight him, and now he wants to be with him? No way, no way, he didn’t buy it. There had to be a catch… Right? Otherwise…

“I just don’t get it…” He sighs aloud, leaning forward and resting his head on the desk.

“Get what?” The sudden appearance of the dull voice had Rin’s tail shooting straight up as he leapt to his feet, ready to fight. Amaimon just tilted his head as he watched the younger demon jump up so defensively.

“What the hell?! You can’t do that! Get the hell out of my room! I am _not_ in the mood to fight you right now,” Rin glares at him in annoyance. How dare he intrude his sacred thinking time!

Amaimon just slowly approaches him, his expression blank as ever. “I’m not here to play, this time. I told you. I wish to initiate courtship you.”

Rin backed up as Amaimon stepped forward, shaking his head.

“You don’t make any sense! Why? And fighting is not playing!” He snapped at the older, who just tilted his head again in response.

“Yes, it is, for demons, at least. Do humans not fight for fun?” He seemed almost genuinely curious and clueless. Rin blinked a few times, just staring for a minute. Huh…

“Well, yes, sometimes, but not like actually fighting where you hurt each other.” He answered, his tail cautiously flicking around behind himself, “and not to like the death.”

Amaimon seemed to think about this for a second before nodding a bit.

“I see. So our fights are not fun to you?” The Earth King seemed almost… Saddened… By this thought. Almost. The emotion disappeared as quick as Rin thought it came—making him hesitate in his answer. He did enjoy their battles, well the ones that didn’t result in near death…

“No, well, yes? I—” He cuts himself off, sighing with a small glare, “Why are you here?”

Amaimon perks up a bit, as if suddenly remembering he did, in fact, have an actual reasoning for being there. He slipped a hand into his pocket subtly before grabbing Rin’s left hand and, before he could even react to the touch, Amaimon slipped something cold and small onto Rin’s ring finger. Then, he let go of his hand, so Rin could see what he had just done.

Rin jerked his, now free, hand away and looked at it in suspicion. He couldn’t trust the demon, just what had he—

“What the hell?!” He suddenly exclaimed as his eyes finally fell on the, admittedly stunning, emerald-gemmed silver ring on his finger, “What do you think you’re doing, putting this on me?!”

“I’m initiating courtship with you,” Amaimon tilts his head, “You are now my betrothed, so long as you wear that ring.”

“Betrothed?! Like hell I’m you’re betrothed! I never accepted that!” Rin started to take the ring off in an, almost embarrassed, annoyed rush, but finds his hands suddenly being held by Amaimon’s.

“No.” He simply hummed, “Three weeks.”

Rin stopped and blinked, giving him a confused and slightly weirded-out look. “What?”

“I want three weeks. Give me three weeks.” Amaimon elaborated just barely, only to continue when the confusion didn’t fade from his face, “Accept my proposal, be my betrothed for three weeks. If I can’t convince you to become mine by then, you can return the ring and I’ll give up. You’ll win. But if I win, I claim you as mine.” He paused for just a moment, blinking, before adding,

“It’s like a game…” His eyes lit up at this realization and he suddenly leaned in close, eagerly, “Play with me. Play with me, I won’t be a sore loser. No… No, I’ll win.” His voice trailed to a distracted murmur towards the end. His eldest brother would be so distraught when he would hear of this~! The thought only further pushed Amaimon on.

Rin stayed quiet, seemingly trying to process what the hell is happening. Three weeks… Three weeks and he’ll leave him alone? Hell, that would be easy! The hardest part, perhaps, would just be explaining why the hell he’s wearing an engagement ring that resembled what a human woman would wear. Rin thought for a moment. He knew he should rip the ring off and chuck it into oblivion with its owner, but… That’s all it would take to get this damn demon to leave him alone? No, no. This was too easy. He couldn’t pass this up—even though he was sure Yukio would find out and, well, probably murder him for trying something so stupid. Of course not literally, but oh boy would the punishment suck if Yukio found out. He’d just have to find a good excuse…

“You’re on.” The words left his mouth before he could even stop them, and he silently cursed himself for giving in, but it couldn’t be that hard right? He hated Amaimon! So… Why did he find himself enjoying how the ring glittered on his finger...? He shook off the thought and smirked at the Earth King,

“But you’re in for a shock if you really think you’ll ever win. Three weeks, and I’ll be rid of you.” Rin huffed confidently.

He wasn’t the only one confident though. A wicked grin flashed on Amaimon’s face and he let go of Rin’s hands. “Three weeks, and you’ll become mine.”

Rin rolled his eyes at the statement, _as if that would happen_ … Amaimon’s hands suddenly disappeared behind him and Rin stood alert, watching him with a glare. He was sure he was about to try something. That was, until, he suddenly thrust a still-wrapped green apple sucker into Rin’s ringed hand. The younger demon was obviously confused, so Amaimon leaned in until his mouth was by Rin’s ear and he spoke quietly,

“You seemed to like the one we shared~”

And like that, he was gone. Not, of course, before taking note of how the young Satan spawn’s face lit up like a fire at his words.

Slowly, Rin looked down to the candy in his hand—his eyes flicking to the ring—before he, his face a deep red shade, finally came back to reality and he found himself snapping at the empty air, clutching the sucker,

“You tree-headed bastard! Three weeks and you’re done for!!!”

* * *

The next morning, Rin forced himself out of bed and made it to the kitchen where his twin waited for him with breakfast. He had almost forgotten about the previous night, having fallen asleep at his desk soon after Amaimon left while doing school work. Yes, his decision to finally be a good student would quickly come to haunt him, though. Rin, of course, thinks nothing of this as he sits down for breakfast—still obviously in his uniform from the previous day.

“G’morning, Yukio…” The demonic twin yawns loudly before looking down to see what Ukobach had prepared them. It was just simple oatmeal, but it looked good… Yukio sighs at the sight of his brother, shaking his head.

“Really, Rin, you couldn’t have even been bothered to change your clothes before bed?” The younger questions, “I know I came home to you sleeping on your desk last night, but I had assumed you would at least wake up to change… You were still at the desk when I woke this morning! Do you _know_ how bad that is for your spine, Rin?”

The demon in question just huffs, not really listening, and grabs his spoon, dipping it in his oatmeal to begin eating. A mistake he didn’t even realize he was making…

“I’m _serious_! You should really care more about your—Rin?” Yukio abruptly ends his train of thought, his eyes and mind now glued to something else. The sudden change caught Rin’s attention finally, though.

“Huh? Yukio? Is something the matter?” He asks, so… so obliviously. When Yukio didn’t answer right away, he found himself following his twin’s gaze to his left hand—which was currently gripping his spoon—and he paled, frozen. _Shit_.

“Rin… _Brother_ … Why are you wearing a ring like that?” Yukio asks slowly, unsure if he even wanted to know, “ _What_ … did you do?”

Rin gripped the spoon tighter. Crap! He couldn’t believe he had let himself fall asleep with the ring on! He knew he agreed to wearing it for the next three weeks of their ‘game’, but he hadn’t intended to wear it to bed! Er… Desk! Now he had to think of an excuse even faster than he already would have had to!

“I didn’t do _anything_!” Was all he managed to get out, defensive. No way Yukio could find out about his little bet. He’d skin him for sure!

“Bullshit,” Yukio says calmly, “Where did you get that ring, then? It didn’t just appear, now did it? I was gone for one night— _one night_! And you’ve gone and gotten yourself into some sort of trouble… Rin, _why_ are you wearing such a ring? Surely you know that’s only given after a proposal…” Rin could _not_ be _that_ dense, Yukio thought. Or, well, hoped.

Rin just shook his head quickly before stumbling out a quick, almost panicked lie, “I bought it for myself.”

Yukio blinked a few times, staring him down. “…You… Bought it. For yourself. I don’t buy it, that looks too expensive, you know our allowance isn’t enough for an emerald ring.”

Insistent on going through with the lie, Rin shook his head again.

“It’s fake. So, it was cheap. I thought it looked nice, and so I bought it, it was impulsive, and probably a waste of money, I know. But I bought it for myself,” he lied through his teeth, feeling a bit guilty for deceiving his brother in such a way. He was sure he would win though, so there was no need for anyone to even know…

Yukio seemed to buy it for the time being, slowly nodding. He was still obviously suspicious, though, eying the ring… Which made Rin reasonably worried. So, he quickly finished his food, ran his fingers through his hair to ‘brush’ it, grabbed his bag from their room, and took off to class. He knew if he stayed a moment longer, he’d crack and admit everything about the secret bet. So, he left, not even bothering to change out of his slept in uniform and into a more…neat…one. Yukio would surely scold him for that later. He fixed up his tie and had a quick sniff test as he left, though, and he smelled fine, so he was sure it wouldn’t be an issue to anyone else. Unless they _really_ hated wrinkled clothes.

When he arrived to the room before Yukio, his classmates were surprised to say the least. Rin simply ignored their curious glances, though, and sat down at his desk next to Shiemi.

“You’re early, Rin,” Shiemi says softly, trying not to let it show that she was surprised as well. She wouldn’t want to influence bad behavior, after all, and by visibly acting surprised when Rin does something _good,_ she very well could, because who knew how Rin would take that.

Rin simply shrugs, resting his right hand on the desk as he shoves his left into his pocket to hide the shiny ring he wore. “I can be early sometimes…” He murmurs, a confused look crossing on his face for a split second as he felt something strange in his pocket.

“Oh! Of course! I didn’t mean it like that!” Shiemi frantically assures him, while the rest of their friends watched in silence. Rin smiled at her before focusing back at what was in his pocket, slowly pulling it out as he spoke,

“I know what you meant, don’t worry. It’s strange that I’m here before Yukio, I just happened to…” He paused a moment, finally getting the object out of his pocket, only to see it was the damn green apple sucker Amaimon had given him the night before. He felt his face begin to heat up just slightly as he recalled what the demon had said. “I-I just happened to wake up early, that’s all!” Rin finished his statement loudly, quickly. Too quickly, and with a small stammer, no less. Something was definitely up with him.

Rin’s classmates gave him an odd look as he clutched the sucker tightly in his hand, still out of view. Damn demon! Why was he so flustered? It wasn’t like he said anything dirty, or something. It was just a statement! Perhaps… No. Well… Perhaps it was because he was embarrassed, because he _did_ enjoy the taste of the earlier candy... Not that Rin would ever admit that out loud. Who could blame him, though? It was candy. Everyone liked candy. He looked down at the sugar in his hand, letting his grip loosen. Why did he give him that, anyway? It was strange, he didn’t get it. But… Well, it would be a shame to let it be wasted or thrown away. From a demon or not, candy is candy, and it was still in the wrapper! So, it couldn’t be poisoned!

The young demon didn’t realize how eerily quiet he had been, lost in his troubling thoughts, until a surprising voice snapped him back to reality.

“Oi, Okumura, you alright, man?” Suguro suddenly asked, frowning at the friend he fought so frequently with, “You’re lookin’ pretty out of it. You sure you got enough sleep?”

Rin looked back at him, giving a thumbs up and a grin. “I’m fine, sweet that you care, though~!” He teased, earning a glare from Suguro.

“I don’t care! I just want to make sure you’re not going to screw up class, again, by falling asleep and snoring through the lecture!” He snapped in defense.

Rin just huffs and unwraps the sucker beneath the desk before raising it to his lips. “I am perfectly well rested, thank you very much. And I do _not_ snore!” He glares a bit at the other before popping the green apple flavored candy into his mouth, holding back a small smile at the taste, and inadvertently flashing the expensive looking ring to his friends in the process. It was good. Very good. He didn’t remember liking candy this much before… Maybe it just tasted better because it was a gift. A gift… Was it a gift? Could a sucker be considered a gift? He played with the candy in his mouth a bit as he contemplated this question, sharp teeth clicking against hardened sugar. He didn’t notice the eyes staring at him curiously, suspiciously. He also didn’t notice his _slight_ resemblance to the one who gifted him this treat at the moment, as he moved the sucker around behind his lips and zoned off to a world of thoughts.

He was pulled back, yet again though, by the voice of a classmate. A different one this time.

“Is that a ring?” Shima asks, raising an eyebrow. Rin quickly shoved his hand out of sight, under the desk.

“Of course, it’s a ring, what else could it be?” Suguro replied to his friend before Rin could, suspicion in his voice, “But why are you wearing it? That’s the kind of ring you’d give to your betrothed.”

“It’s even in the right place!” Shima pitched in curiously.

These words made Rin’s eyes widen slightly as his friends eyed him expectantly, waiting for an answer. Shiemi tilted her head just slightly, looking at him with a confused gaze, “…Rin?”

His eyes darted between them all, and he started to open his mouth to speak—to explain with his pathetic lie, the sucker still in his mouth… But before he could get even a sound out, the door opened, and his brother stepped in. Rin shot him a grateful look at this, but Yukio returned his look with a glare—his eyes darting to the stick between his lips—and the older twin sunk down in his seat a bit as Yukio began class before the others could demand an answer from the young demon.

All through class, Rin let his thoughts wander, just chewing the stick in his mouth once he finished the candy part. Yukio knew he wasn’t paying attention, but he couldn’t be bothered to do anything about it this time, knowing he would regret it later when he gave him extra homework to complete. It _did_ annoy him, though. He just _knew_ something was up with his older brother, but he wouldn’t tell him for some reason… It annoyed him that whatever was going on had him distracted from his lessons. He was also annoyed by his brother playing with that stupid stick all class. It was irritating! No, it didn’t _actually affect him_ , but still! Where had he gotten that, anyway? Had he stopped and bought it before class? But how could he if he had supposedly spent his money on that ring? Strange.

Soon enough, though, Yukio had to release class, and as soon as he did Rin was out of there. He left immediately, not even giving Yukio the chance to say his name or his classmates the chance to question him. He did _not_ want to deal with that. Now, what he wanted to do was find a certain demon and yell at him for dragging him into this stupid mess, even though he knew it was partially his fault as well for agreeing. This was it. He was done with this. He didn’t care it had only been one day, he didn’t want to deal with the suspicion and questioning. He’d go insane! So, he began to search for Amaimon, to throw the stupidly gorgeous ring at his face and tell him to get lost. He looked at his hand, eyes locked onto the piece of jewelry.

It really was nice… He almost… liked… it. It complimented him well. It was like Amaimon had made it just for him… As if! This was just a game to him, anyway. He wouldn’t have put that much time into it. But still… If it was just a game, why pick something so nice...? So perfect…? He groans softly to himself, he’d never understand that damn demon king. Suddenly he stops, looking around him as something clicked in his head.

“How the hell am I supposed to find him?!” Rin exclaims in distress, standing outside the school. Dammit, he didn’t think this through at all.

He runs his fingers through his hair as he stares up at the school, sighing to himself. What now? He wondered. He had no idea how to find Amaimon, and unless he could find someone else who may know where he was, he would be—wait!

“Someone who knows where he is… Mephisto!” He claps his hands together in delight. He was actually glad he knew the older demon, for once, when he remembered that he was sure to know where Amaimon could be—after all, he was apparently his older brother, as he had recently learned. Regaining his determination, and preparing himself to part with the pretty jewelry, Rin hurried himself to his eldest brother’s office.

When Rin finally made it to the door of Mephisto’s office, he found himself freezing up. What was he supposed to say? He couldn’t tell him about the bet, the game. No way. So, how could he explain why he needed to find Amaimon? Just as he was about to turn around and give up, he heard a loud laugh come from the office. It was definitely Mephisto, but he couldn’t figure out what was so funny. So, curiosity overtaking him, he presses his ear to the door and listens in.

“Wait wait wait, say it again!” He heard an amused Mephisto almost demand, “My ears are surely deceiving me!”

Then, he heard another voice, this one sounded different but still he knew immediately who it was. “I am courting someone,” Amaimon said firmly, a touch of annoyance at Mephisto buried in the confidence of his tone. Rin heard another laugh from the eldest, followed by clapping.

“Little brother! I must admit I’m surprised! I never expected you to go down that little street,” _Little brother,_ Rin thought to himself. It was still so strange to hear Mephisto call him that. “Who might this mystery fiancé be~?”

There was silence, and Rin pressed his ear harder against the door, not wanting to miss anything. He wondered if he’d really say it… And then…

“Rin.” The name sounded nice coming from Amaimon’s voice, it made the young demon wonder why he didn’t say it as often. That would have to change, especially if he would spend the next three weeks with Amaimon pestering him.

The surprise was evident when Mephisto finally replied. “He actually agreed to be your bride? Well, I never would have seen that coming!” He says, rather stunned.

Rin huffs slightly behind the door. He didn’t agree to be anyone’s bride. _Yet_.

When Amaimon begins to emotionlessly explain that, yes, Rin had indeed agreed, the younger half-demon decided that was enough. He had to set this straight with Mephisto. So, he grabs the handle and swings open the door, pointing at Amaimon accusingly.

“I did _not_ agree to anything like that!” He snaps, immediately drawing the attention of both the older demons—who, shockingly enough, both looked surprised at his sudden entrance. Amaimon wiped any look of this off his face much quicker than his elder brother, though, and shook his head before tilting it at Rin.

“But you did. You accepted my ring, you’re my betrothed. You accepted my proposal.” The Earth King says calmly, though he did almost sound confused by Rin’s denial.

“No. No, I accepted your _bet_.” Rin corrects, “This is a game to you, I’m just playing along.” Mephisto watched with a small smirk, intrigued by what he was hearing.

Amaimon blinks, tilting his head the other way. “I made it a game so you would play. You wouldn’t accept me otherwise. I’m very serious about this. I shared with you.” He stepped closer to Rin. These words caught the oldest demon’s attention immediately.

“Oh? Ohh?” Mephisto grins widely, “Now, Rin, Amaimon here doesn’t just share with anyone. You’re special~” He chuckles a bit before taking a breath, clapping his hands together, “You must be very serious about this, Amaimon. Are you?”

The demon in question nods, eyeing Rin. “I got him a ring, I heard that is what you do in human courtship. If the questioned takes the ring, they’ve accepted your proposal. He accepted my ring.”

Mephisto hums softly, looking to Rin. “Listen to that, he looked into human customs for you. I’d say that makes him very serious about this,” Rin huffs at Mephisto’s words, “But, now, what’s this about a game or bet? Amaimon, you shouldn’t trick your beloved into accepting a proposal.” Rin’s face flushed at the words.

“I am not anyone’s _beloved_!” He exclaims, but he was ignored as Amaimon began speaking.

“I’m not tricking him. He’s agreed to it,” Amaimon tells his brother calmly, “I have three weeks to win his affections. If I succeed, he’s agreed to let me claim. If he succeeds, I must leave him alone. For good. That does not matter, though, I will win. During those three weeks, he has accepted my ring, to be my betrothed.”

Mephisto nods slowly, listening. “I see… And Rin, you agreed to this willingly? Not against your will?”

“Well, yeah!” Rin starts, shrugging as he glances to the ring on his finger, “Why wouldn’t I? It got him to stop trying to kill me, and it’s not like he’s going to win.”

“You sound very confident he’ll fail,” Mephisto raises an eyebrow, watching him stare at the emerald.

Rin looked back up, rolling his eyes. “Of course, I am. I mean, how could he even begin to succeed when he doesn’t even call me by my _name_?” He asked, seemingly trying to hide his slight annoyance at the fact, as he shot Amaimon a glare.

The demon kings shared a look before Amaimon shrugs.

“I see, well, it seems my dear little brother here will have to step up his game within the next three weeks,” Mephisto hums, “Until then, though, don’t forget you have agreed to be his betrothed for this time as well—not just to let him pester you into affection. Demon betrothals are serious matters, and typically one doesn’t take back their acceptance. This bet is a strange, uncommon, exception. If word get out about this, only for you to break it off, you need to be prepared for the possible backlash from our brothers, they’ll take it as you disrespecting our cultural customs.”

Before Rin could question what he meant, Mephisto continued, “As for the ring, I expect you’ll keep it on like you agreed to, it would simply be hurtful to Amaimon here to see his betrothed roaming without the jewel he put so much care into retrieving for you. Having said that, I’m sure you’ve already had questions from, at very least, the younger Okumura if you’ve truly been wearing that all day. What did you tell him?” Amaimon eyes him curiously at the question, wondering this as well.

“I, um…” Rin stammers a bit, slightly overwhelmed by all the words being thrown at him. He pauses a moment to process it all. He hadn’t realized what he had gotten himself into fully, until Mephisto put it all like that. He hadn’t thought it was that serious, but then again, he didn’t know much about demon culture or customs… “I told Yukio that I bought it for myself. He’d have my head if he knew the truth.”

“He would, wouldn’t he… How troublesome…” Mephisto sighs, “Did he believe you?”

Rin shakes his head. “Not at first,” he admits, “He called me out for not being able to afford something this expensive looking with my allowance, and so I told him it was fake, so it was cheap… He bought that, but I think he’s still suspicious.”

Amaimon didn’t seem pleased when he said the words ‘fake’ and ‘cheap’. That ring was neither of those things! It was only the best, genuine, quality! Just as his betrothed should have! Mephisto catches the look flicker in his brother’s eyes, and raises a hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“No, no, this won’t do… You’ll hurt my poor brother’s pride if you go around claiming it’s a cheap fake,” The eldest demon scolds Rin lightly, “But, it wouldn’t be ideal for word to get out about this whole ordeal… The youngest won’t react well to this at all, neither will that class of yours, and we can’t have our other brothers alerted on the off chance Amaimon here fails his task…”

“So what? What am I supposed to say?” Rin asks, glancing to Amaimon when he heard a small clicking sound. Ah, of course, he should have known… His eyes locked onto the stick poking out his mouth. Of course, he was eating a stupid sucker right now. As if this wasn’t, like, super important. At least, it should be important to him. He had been so insistent about this whole thing, after all… Suddenly, he snapped back to his senses to see Amaimon holding the sucker out towards his face.

He blinked a few times in confusion, “Um…”

“You were staring. I thought you wanted some.” Amaimon murmurs, slowly taking the sucker back, popping it into his mouth once more. Rin had to admit, he was surprised by the generosity, no matter how…strange.

“A-anyway…” Rin shakes his head slightly, and looks back at Mephisto, who had a surprised smirk on his face, “What am I supposed to say, if I can’t say what I did?”

Mephisto thinks for a moment about this question. What _could_ he say? Then, the smirk on his face widened. “Why… Tell them you got it from me~!”

Amaimon and Rin both went dead silent at these words, staring at him like he just said something incomprehensible. _Ah, the bond of the betrothed~_ Mephisto chuckles before elaborating, “I _mean_ , if someone really wants to know where you got it, tell them I took you out shopping for some demon-guardian bonding time or something, and I bought it for you because you just wanted it so bad and promised to pay me back.”

As he explained what he had meant, the two younger demons slowly relaxed in understanding—though, Amaimon was still a bit annoyed that his older brother would get the credit for his oh-so-rare consideration. He knew he couldn’t argue, though, when he saw Rin nod in agreement to the idea.

“Okay… Okay. That sounds believable enough, I guess,” he glanced back down at the ring with a sigh before looking between Amaimon and Mephisto, his eyes landing on the latter. “Thank you for the help. Uh… Bye.”

Rin started backing up to the door, slowly to see if either would stop him, mainly Amaimon. When all he did was wave, Rin nods and turns around, exiting quickly. His mind was racing after everything that had just happened. What the hell? He had gone there to reject Amaimon, not further encourage him! How the hell had this happened… And what was with the sucker thing?! Ugh, that was so embarrassing! Right in front of Mephisto, too… He still didn’t get why it had him so flustered, it just did! He let out a frustrated groan, kicking the wall before taking a deep breath and heading back to his dorms. He needed to calm himself down before he got back… Good thing it was a decent walk there.

* * *

When he got back to his dorm, he half expected his brother to not even be there, assuming he’d probably been summoned for a mission while he was gone. How long had he been gone anyway? Ah, that didn’t matter, he decided as he stepped inside. He just wanted to get some food and relax, so that was exactly what he was going to do.

Rin headed straight to the kitchen to grab a snack, thanking Ukobach, before going to his room with the food. Now, he still half expected Yukio to be gone. He definitely wasn’t expecting to see his twin in the room, sitting at Rin’s desk with his back facing it, watching the door as he awaited Rin’s arrival. Creepy… How long had he been waiting like that?

“Yukio? Um, you good? How long have you been sitting like that?” Rin asked, voicing his thoughts cautiously. He learned to be careful around his little brother, not wanting to become the next demon he pulled his guns on. He knew Yukio would never hurt him like that, no, he’d sworn to protect him, but… Well, it was a bit of an irrational anxiety that tugged at his subconscious occasionally.

“Where have you been, Rin?” Yukio asked, his voice eerily calm, “You have been acting strange, and you have been gone all afternoon. Not to mention, I did some digging, and that ring isn’t a fake, nor is it cheap. In fact, it’s one of a kind. Why are you lying to me? What is going on with you?”

Rin went silent. Ah… One of a kind…? Had Amaimon gotten this made for him…? He couldn’t help but feel a little flattered at this, a small, very faint, blush heating his cheeks at the idea.

“Well?” Yukio pressed, standing from his seat as he crossed his arms. He was like a displeased mother scolding a young child. It was irritating, yet…Somehow Rin was comforted by it.

“I’m sorry, Yukio. I did lie,” The older admits rather quickly. It took Yukio by surprise, but he didn’t let it shake him too much, instead he just sighs and shakes his head.

“Tell me the truth, Rin, where did you get the ring?”

Rin went quiet, twisting the ring in question on his finger around a bit, as he contemplated actually telling him the truth—already feeling guilty for even thinking about lying to him again. No wonder Yukio didn’t trust him, no wonder the others didn’t trust him either. He didn’t give them a reason to… Not with how easily he lets the lies fall off his tongue.

“Mephisto…” He started, not meeting his twins narrowed eyes, “Mephisto got it for me.”

Yukio felt his eyes go wide in shock, and he quickly forces himself to regain composure. No way. Mephisto—?! No, no he had to be missing something. Rin would never… Would he? “Rin, are you and Sir Pheles…?"

“What?” Rin looked at him in confusion before it clicked what he was asking, and his eyes widened as he quickly shook his head and hands in denial, “Oh no! God no, Yukio! Uck, gross! He was the old man’s friend!” Yukio slowly nods at this, and Rin saw his tense shoulders relax just a bit in relief.

“Ah, of course. I’m not even sure why I thought,” He shook his head, “So, why, then?”

Rin sighs and walks to his bed, sitting on it. “You were already gone on your mission when I got home yesterday, but Mephisto was here waiting for me. Apparently, he thought it would be a good idea to take me to town—for, like, bonding or whatever—since he is technically our guardian, and suddenly decided he wanted us to be closer for some stupid reason.” The lies slipped past his lips so easily, but they felt like acid, burning away at his tongue. God, he hated having to lie to his twin, the one he was supposed to be able to confide in…

“Okay…” Yukio nods, “That does sound like something he would do, but what about the ring?”

“I’m getting there,” Rin huffs, looking away, “While we were out, he decided he wanted to go shopping, and dragged me along. I don’t know why we stopped at the jewelry shop, he said he needed something. I guess he, saw me, eyeing the ring… And he knew I could never afford it with the allowance he gave us, so, he bought it for me under the condition I save up and pay him back. I lied, because I was embarrassed…”

“Well, that was oddly generous of him,” Yukio raises an eyebrow, still standing but having uncrossed his arms.

Rin gave him a look, crossing his own arms, “Look, you can ask him yourself if you don’t believe me. He’ll say the same thing, though.”

The two brothers sat in silence for a few moments, as if testing one another, their eyes locked. Until, Yukio turns and heads to leave,

“I’ll be back.” Was all he said before the door shut behind him. Holy shit, holy shit. He was actually going to ask Mephisto! What if he didn’t corroborate Rin’s story like he assumed he would?! Of course, the story was his idea, but that damn clown just seemed to love stirring up trouble for Rin! Oh, he had really done it now… 

After what felt like hours, to a freaked out Rin at least, Yukio finally returned to his shared room. He took off his jacket and hung it up as he walked in before looking to Rin, who was lying anxiously on his bed with his tail flicking slowly back and forth off the edge of the mattress.

Rin sat up at the noise and looked at his brother. “Yukio! You’re back!” His tail flicked the bed one last time before going still.

Yukio nodded before sitting on his own bed, relaxing.

“Yes, I had a chat with Sir Pheles. He told me you were telling the truth…” The younger sighs, not catching the look of relief flash in Rin’s eyes, “I apologize for doubting you. He said you were quite set on having that ring, even went as far to say you begged him. I think he may have been exaggerating, but I’m still surprised you were so insistent. I didn’t realize you had such a love for flashy jewelry.”

Rin just shrugs. “Yeah, well, there’s a lot you don’t realize about me…” The words left before he could stop them, and Yukio stared at him in silence, as if surprised, before nodding again.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right, Rin.”

* * *

The next few days passed rather uneventfully, aside from Rin finally having to explain to his friends where he got the ring. He was a bit embarrassed as he told the story, but they all seemed to believe it, so he was fine. Though, he couldn’t escape the occasional teasing, still, he knew it was all in good fun and didn’t let it get to him.

Rin was starting to grow more and more confident he would win this bet as the days passed. The first week was almost over, already, and he hadn’t seen Amaimon once since the conversation at Mephisto’s office. He almost wondered if the other demon had forgotten about it, or if he had lost interest in Rin since then. For some reason, the thought made Rin frown. He had been so insistent on this whole thing, and now he’s seemingly just disappeared. Had it not been for the priceless ring on his finger, Rin would have thought it had all been a dream.

He sighs softly as he walks down the path to his dormitory. Then, as if the world could read his thoughts, a voice appeared beside him,

“You seem upset. Why?”

To say Rin was startled would be an understatement. His eyes went wide and he jumped away from the voice with a yelp, his tail shooting straight up and puffing a bit. When his eyes fell on a slightly confused Amaimon, they narrowed in annoyance, but he otherwise relaxed. Amaimon could tell by the way his tail slowly dropped back down and smoothed out. He still hadn’t learned how to keep that put away, how troublesome…

“What the hell?! You can’t do that! You can’t just sneak up on me like that!” Rin snapped, trying to appear angry at the demon, though the tail he refused to keep put away betrayed his words, as it swayed subtly behind himself.

“You were alone. I came to visit you.” Amaimon replied calmly, “I want to walk you to the building.”

Rin gave him a look, his hands resting by his sides. “Why?”

“To protect you from harm,” He grabbed Rin’s left hand, admiring the way his ring looked on it for a second before entwining their fingers carefully—almost as if he was unsure if he was doing it right. Then, he began to walk, gently pulling Rin along with him.

“H-hey! What do you think you’re doing? Let go of my hand!” The younger demands, although he made no effort to pull himself away, walking politely by his side.

Amaimon looked at him curiously. “Why? I was told human partners hold do this to show their affection. Is that not true?”

Rin shook his head, his face a soft shade of pink as he responded, “No, yes, that’s right, but we’re not partners, and what if someone saw? We’re supposed to be enemies!”

“You’re my betrothed,” Amaimon stopped walking and turned to face him, grabbing his other hand so he was now holding both. “Only one week has passed. You’re still my betrothed, I will treat you so. Let me, Rin.”

Rin looks down at their hands, before looking back to Amaimon’s face. He seemed… Surprised. Because he was. He was surprised. He was surprised by how serious the Earth King was about this, how much he seemed to actually be trying, he was minorly surprised at the fact he wasn’t emotionless constantly, and he was surprised he used his actual name instead of some stupid nickname. He must have actually taken what Rin said earlier in the week to heart…

“…What if someone sees this? How could I explain that to them? You’re supposed to be my enemy, not the one trying to _marry me,_ Amaimon.” Rin hadn’t expected his voice to sound so soft when he spoke, it almost startled him how gentle he spoke to the demon he swore he hated.

Amaimon leaned in towards him, bringing their faces close together. The action had Rin’s breath catching in his throat as he froze, his eyes widening just barely, as he wondered just what this demon was about to do, here, out in the open. Where anyone could see.

“Is that really what plagues your thoughts, right now?” The older murmurs, tilting his head just barely. Rin felt like his heart was going to stop at any second. Too close, they were too close. His face felt hot… Oh, God, why was this making him so flustered?! He must have looked like a gold fish gasping for water above the surface as his mind raced to find a snarky response and failed.

At the lack of reply, Amaimon let go of his right hand while keeping hold of his left, and stepped back to give him space before continuing to walk in the direction of the dormitory. Rin, not trusting his voice at the moment, just walked silently beside him, his tail wrapped shyly around his own leg. It was as if he didn’t trust what the damn thing would do if he let it unwrap and do what it wanted. He said nothing else about their hands, though, not finding any complaints in himself. In fact, Amaimon was positive he felt the younger squeeze his hand gently at one point during their walk, even. He dared not comment on it, though. 

When they got to the dormitory, Amaimon let go of Rin’s hand and stepped back to let him go. Rin gave him a strange look but waved goodbye before continuing to the front steps of the dorm hall and walking inside. Amaimon watched him go, resisting the want to follow him in. He knew that twin of his would be there, and Rin would get upset if he found out. Making Rin upset was no way to succeed. No, no, he had to make sure he was careful.

* * *

The second week had finally begun, and Rin was starting to wonder if accepting that bet was as good of an idea as he had thought it was. It had been four days since the hand-holding incident, making it a Monday now, and Amaimon had been definitely working hard to win him over during those four days. Giving him sweets, spending any time he could with him, holding his hand, even complimenting or hugging him (Rin suspected Mephisto was giving him tips). He was beginning to fear Amaimon was succeeding. He sat in his shared dorm room, laying on his back on his bed as he stared at the gem on his finger. Just looking at it had his stomach doing flips. Metaphorically, of course. He groans softly in frustration. Yes, this had been a bad idea.

It was getting harder to keep denying the butterflies he felt when the demon king entwined their fingers, or ran his hand through Rin’s hair slowly. Today, he almost caved, when Amaimon cupped his cheek ever so gently and pressed their foreheads together to say goodbye after they arrived at the dormitory—it had become a normal thing for Amaimon to walk him to and from the dorms ever since Thursday. He had been so close to giving in, closing the space that was left… But he hadn’t, and neither did Amaimon. That surprised him, he had expected him to at least try, but that seemed to be the one thing he wouldn’t do… Could it be he was waiting for Rin to accept him first? Or did he _want_ Rin to break and do it himself?

Either way, Rin was getting frustrated. He had been so confident he would win, but now he was doubting his every thought. He wasn’t sure he could make it another week of this without crumbling. It wasn’t fair! He liked how things had been before. Well, not really, but at least he didn’t have to keep a whole part of his life a secret from everyone he cared about before! And, at least before he _knew_ how he felt about Amaimon! Now… Now he wasn’t sure of anything.

All he knew was, he liked how the ring looked on his finger, and the warmth of the other demon’s hand in his, and… The surprising gentleness of his touch… The sweet gifts of suckers and other small candies that would randomly appear… The feeling of fingers brushing through his hair… The eyes that seemed to always be admiring him... The way he said his name… But that didn’t mean anything! Right? Right. Of course. It didn’t mean anything. His heart sped up slightly at his thoughts, as heat rose to his face and his tail started flicking against the mattress.

“I should have never agreed to this bet…” He groans to himself, burying his face in his hands.

“What bet, Rin?” The voice sent Rin flying off the bed with a started yelp, his tail poofed up defensively. 

“ _Yukio_!” He exclaimed as his eyes fell on his twin in the door way, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, “Why does everyone keep doing that?! I thought you were back at the classroom still grading…”

The twin in question raises an eyebrow at this brother’s jumpiness, but thinks nothing of it. “I finished. What bet?” Damn, he was persistent.

“Oh, uh, it’s nothing,” Rin tried to convince him, not exactly sure how he would explain this. He was getting tired of keeping it from his twin…And his friends…

Yukio frowned at him but, surprisingly enough, didn’t press. He just nodded and headed to his desk, sitting down at it. Rin stared at him for a moment, just taking in the silence, until…

“What do you think of that demon, Amaimon?” The words fell out of Rin’s mouth against his own wishes, and he silently cursed himself when Yukio stopped and looked at him with a strange glint in his eyes.

“Amaimon, as in the demon king who has tried to kill you on multiple occasions and put my class at risk in consequence?” Yukio confirmed, his voice unreadable as always. When Rin nodded, he continued, “He is selfish, immature, a hazard, and should be exorcised. He’s a demon, in every definition of the word. All he brings is violence.”

Rin couldn’t identify why—or rather, he refused to acknowledge why—his brother words made anger bubble up inside him. This wouldn’t end well… Oh, why did he have to ask about Amaimon in the first place? “Yeah, well I’m a demon, too. Do you think _I_ should be exorcised?” He snapped without really thinking about his words.

“Don’t be foolish, Rin. You’re not like him. He hunts you down, just to fight you, puts your friends at risk, puts _you_ at risk. He’s dangerous.” Yukio replied almost immediately, managing to keep his voice steady. You’re not like him… The way he said that stung Rin for some reason.

“He’s _bored_.” Rin shot back, “He thinks it’s a game, he thinks we’re playing. _That’s how demons are_ , Yukio. If he’s dangerous, what am I? You drew your guns on me, after all. You’re so damn quick to judge, you don’t even stop to think there could be more! A demon is a demon, right?”

Yukio glared at his brother at this. “Rin, that was different. You know that. We’ve moved past that. _You’re_ different. Why are you defending him? Where is this coming from? All he’s done is hurt you.”

“I told you he thinks of it as playing! He knows I can take it! He’s strong, if he wanted me dead do you really think I’d still be here?! You don’t even know him!”

“Oh, and you do?” Yukio let out a laugh of disbelief. If his brother wasn’t so worked up, he would have been shocked.

“I do! For a matter of fact! And he’s _nothing_ like you make yourself think he is,” Rin glared back at him. He wasn’t sure why he was so heated over this, but he needed to shut up soon or else he would spill it all in a very unpleasant way.

“Is he now? How is he, then? How is the demon who constantly attacks you? Come on, don’t be shy now,” Yukio crossed his arms expectantly. Rin just shakes his head, though, getting up and heading to the door—his tail flicking furiously behind him.

“Forget it. Forget I said anything. I’m going to get some air…” And he left the room, headed straight outside, ignoring the exasperated calls of his brother from their dorm room. He needed to clear his head. He needed to let off some steam… To vent his frustrations. He knew what he needed, or more specifically who he needed, and he lets out a disgruntled groan when he realizes he has no idea where he is. So, instead of wandering around to find the demon who started all his problems, he just walked to the closest bench he saw and laid down on it. Rest… Yes, rest would work just as well as shouting… Rin convinces himself as he slowly lets his eyes fall shut, lying uncomfortably cramped on the bench, his tail tucked under himself.

It felt like as soon as he succumbed to the sweet temptation of sleep, he was brought back to the world of the awake. He knew this was not the case, though, when he opened his eyes to see the dark skies of the night. He must’ve been asleep for hours… He distinctly remembered there still being light out when he stormed off, but now he was left shivering beneath the moonlight, sore from the cramped position he fell asleep in. He stared up at the sky with a tired frown as he remembered why he was there.

“That doesn’t look the most comfortable place to sleep,” The familiar voice came from in front of him, a hint of concern hidden behind the steady tone. Rin sat up and looked to the source.

“It’s not…”

“Why are you out here?” Amaimon asked, raising an eyebrow as he sat down beside Rin. The younger shrugs slightly, finding himself leaning against Amaimon without thought.

“Oh, ah, I just got into an argument with Yukio…” Rin murmured, adding quickly when he felt the older demon tense, “It was my fault, I started it knowing how it would end, and I left of my own free will. I needed to cool down, clear my head.” 

Amaimon slowly nodded. “Did he hurt you?”

“What? Oh, no, no I’m fine. I was just picking a fight. I know how he feels about demons, and I know he doesn’t view me the same. I just… Ah, why am I telling you this…?” Rin frowned to himself, scooting away from Amaimon, who matched Rin’s frown.

“Because you can,” Amaimon pulled Rin back to him, making him lean on him again. The smaller demon let out a small gasp of surprise at his actions, but decided it would be better not to fight, and just let himself relax against the older.

“Yukio would be furious if he knew this is where I was, right now…” He sighs, “I wonder if he’s worried. It must’ve been hours since I left…”

“Why do you care what he thinks?” Amaimon sounded confused.

“He’s my twin, and kind of the only family I have left—family I grew up with, I mean. Ever since the old man…” He trailed off before shaking his head, “We’ve just… We’ve been through a lot together. He’s my brother, I’ll always care what he thinks.”

They sat in silence for a few moments after Rin spoke. One would think the quiet between the two was uncomfortable, but… It was oddly, the opposite. It was nice, relaxing. Rin found himself staring at the other demon’s face, he looked relaxed but there was also an emotion behind his eyes Rin couldn’t seem to name. He sighs softly, looking down and leaning more against Amaimon. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but for some reason, he was starting to enjoy the Earth King’s presence. He found it comforting, to have him around. It was strange, he used to hate his company. He hated even just the sound of his name, but now, he found that name dancing around his head so frequently.

“It was about you,” Rin suddenly confessed, “the argument, I mean. I… Asked Yukio what he thought of you, and I didn’t like the answer. So, I let myself push it too far, and said things I shouldn’t have.”

Amaimon looks at Rin, his eyes widened just a bit in surprise at what he had admitted.

“Don’t get too flattered, though!” Rin quickly adds, looking back at Amaimon, “This doesn’t mean you’re winning. I just got curious. _This—_ ” he motions slightly at their position, where he was snuggled up to Amaimon with faintly flushed cheeks, “—doesn’t mean you’re winning either! It’s just cold…”

Amaimon stays quiet, but his lips stretch into a small smile as he stares at Rin, knowing damn well that was a lie because he was, in no way, warm.

* * *

Things were tense between Yukio and Rin for the next few days, but Rin could tell his younger brother was making extra effort to subtly convince him that he wasn’t afraid of or hating him. On the other side of things, Rin and Amaimon were growing closer, as Rin finally began to stop denying how he felt. At least, internally. He wasn’t sure if he could say or act on how he now knew he felt, yet.

He knew the third week was about to begin, but he didn’t think much of that anymore. He didn’t care as much as he used to about the bet, knowing deep down he had already lost. No, now he was more focused on the possible reactions his friends and brother could have when they found out. Mephisto had told him not to worry about it when he visited the older demon for advice (being sure to dance around the part where he admits his feelings), he had said things would work themselves out win or lose, and something about those close to him caring too much about him to be mad for too long. Rin wasn’t so sure about this, though.

Koneko was still cautious around Rin since finding out he was a demon, Suguro was always quick to argue and had only just gotten over the whole Satan’s-son-thing, Yukio… Well, he knew how Yukio felt about Amaimon… He sighs to himself, ignoring the glare he got from his class instructor for not paying attention. Ah, that didn’t matter. He was dealing with more important issues. He looks to the clock to see how much longer before he would be released from the room, only to realize he still had over an hour left, and then after that he would be going straight into another class. Yukio’s class… Dammit. That was the last thing he wanted right now. Rin began to absentmindedly twist the ring on his finger, something he found himself doing often to ease his nerves.

Class dragged on for what felt like an eternity to an anxious demon. When he finally was released, Rin could not have gotten out of that classroom faster. He ignored the confused looks of his friends as he walked alone to the next classroom, just trying to get the day over with. The quicker it was over, the quicker he could go back to his dorm and think without scolded like a child. When he got to the room, he noticed Yukio was already there and mentally cursed to himself. Awkward… He walks in, avoiding looking at his brother, and sits at his desk—grateful when the rest of his friends filed in quick after, and Yukio began class.

Things were going well in class, Rin was actually managing to pay attention to Yukio’s pleasure, until about halfway through.

“When you’ve been inflicted with such a woun—” Yukio was cut off by a startlingly loud crash was heard from outside the building, taking everyone by surprise, and even earning a small scream from Shima. Though, he would deny it was him until death. It was hardly seconds after the near-deafening sound, that Yukio’s phone was ringing and he was answering it.

“Okumura Yukio,” his voice was so professional, per usual, “Yes. Yes, I am with my class. Yes, we all heard. Understood. Yes, sir, I’m on my way.”

The class, including Rin, all stared at him expectantly, confused and requiring answers.

“It seems… Today we will be having a small field exercise. I’ve been instructed to bring you all with me, Sir Pheles apparently feels it would be a good learning experience to see an exorcist in the field.” Yukio explained, “A low-level, but large, demon has broken through the barrier and seems to be fighting with something much stronger than it, from what I’ve been told.”

The class exchanged nervous glances before Shima spoke up, “but, if it’s low-level and fighting something stronger, why don’t we just let the stronger thing take care of it for us? It can’t last that long.”

His classmates looked from him back to Yukio, for an answer.

“The low-level demon may very well be eliminated before we even get out there, and even if not, we are not to bother ourselves with it,” The younger Okumura said calmly, “My task, which you will be observing and not interfering with—” he shot Rin a look, “—is to exorcise the demon that takes it down. It’s suspected to be a high-level demon, and Sir Pheles himself has entrusted me with this task. I will say again, _do not interfere._ ”

The students nod, and Rin lets out a huff, knowing those words were directed at him. Yukio nods back and leads them all outside. When they got out and to the field like area where the crash had come from, none could really tell what was happening. Two demons were very clearly going at it, fighting viciously, but hidden by the cloud of dust and dirt their fight kept kicking up. Yukio stood in front of the class, Rin by his side yet still behind him, as the demons fought. The classmates exchanged unsure looks, not liking that the instructions had been to just let the demons fight. Rin was suspicious. Why _were_ those the instructions? What was Mephisto up to? As if the world could hear him, his question was answered almost as soon as he thought it, the cloud of dirt slowly dissipating to reveal a sight that made Rin’s heart stop… Oh, no… No. Mephisto, that bastard! He planned this!

In the field, standing over a fatally injured, animalistic demon, was the Demon King of Earth himself, Amaimon. Rin watched with wide eyes, as the older demon struck the final blow and the weaker demon beneath him turned to ash, soaking into the earth. Amaimon looked over, his eyes meeting Rin’s for a split second before he looked to Yukio, standing and dusting himself off. The rest of the class was stunned. Why was a demon king here?! What was going on?! They didn’t understand, and they were unsure why Mephisto had ordered Yukio to take him out. He was a demon king! No way he could do it! It was practically a death sentence! Right? But they were strictly ordered not to interfere…

Suddenly, Yukio draws his guns, aiming directly at Amaimon, who seemed to snarl at the younger Okumura. Rin, unsure of what to do but knowing he couldn’t let this happen, places a hand on Yukio’s shoulder.

“Yukio… Don’t—”

“You were directed not to interfere, Rin. Do as you’re told for once, and stay back.” Yukio orders, a bit too harshly.

Amaimon narrows his eyes at Yukio, not liking the way he spoke to his dear Rin, and started to walk towards him. All he had wanted, was to take out that damn demon his older brother let in and protect Rin. That’s all. Now, he had two guns pointed at him, and he was feeling extra dangerous.

What happened next was a blur. Rin wasn’t sure what had gotten into him, but the sight of his brother pointing weapons made to kill demons at the one he’d come to fall for set something off. All he knew was that he wasn’t going to let this happen. It all went so quickly, no one was even sure what happened. There was the deafening sound of a gunshot, a startled shout, and a frantic, “ _Don’t_!” very clearly in Rin’s voice. When Rin came back to his senses, he realized what he had just done.

Rin stood where Yukio had been, tail puffed up and lashing frantically, while Yukio slowly stood from the earth Rin had carelessly shoved him into without thinking. He glanced around to see his classmates, staring at him in a mix of confusion and shock, and Amaimon watching him with an affectionate gleam in his eyes. Yukio on the other hand… The anger was evident.

“ _What_ do you think you’re doing?” It was eerie how steady Yukio’s voice was as he dusted himself off, “Do you realize what you just did, Rin? You just saved a demon. That’s a clear betrayal of the Paladin.”

Neither brother noticed Amaimon approaching, closer and closer, and the class was too stunned to alert them.

“I-Yukio it’s not like that and you know it!” Rin shook his head at his brother, “You were going to try and kill him!”

“Why do you care what I do to him?!” Yukio snapped, “He’s dangerous, he’s a threat!”

Rin’s hands balled into tight fists, his anger rising. “Right! Right, because he’s a demon?! And demons are threats, yeah?!”

“Dammit, Rin, don’t start with this again! We’ve been over it!” Yukio nearly shouted in exasperation.

“Um… Guys…?” A nervous voice suddenly interrupted them, earning a snapped,

“ _What?!_ ” From the twins in unison.

Their friends all flinched back at this a bit, making Rin frown as he realized what he had done.

“I-I’m sorry, don’t know what came over me…” He says to them, his anger slowly dissolving. Shima, who had been the one to call their attention, shook his head and just pointed to beside Rin.

When Rin and Yukio looked over, they were both surprised to see Amaimon standing there, partially behind the older twin.

“Rin. Move.” Yukio demands, voice deadly calm as he raised his gun once more, aiming right at Amaimon. He couldn’t get a safe shot with Rin standing right there… He just needed to—

“No.” Rin held his ground, even going as far as to move completely in front of the older demon, almost protectively.

“Dammit, Rin, move already! Stop playing this game, and let me take him down!” Yukio glared at his brother, but Rin refused to move.

“I can’t let you do that.” He barely managed to keep his voice steady, not realizing his tail had moved and, instead of flicking around behind himself, was now wrapped securely around Amaimon’s waist. His friends and classmates stared in pure shock, unable to process what the hell was happening. Was Rin changing sides?! No, he wouldn’t… But why was he protecting this demon??

“And why not? Why, are you so insistent on interfering with this mission? Why won’t you let me do my job?” Yukio didn’t let his guard waver, gun still aimed, until…

“ _Because I’m in love with him._ ”

The sudden confession brought pure silence in response. Yukio’s arms dropped to his sides, lowering his gun in surprise, as all stared at Rin with wide eyes. Even Amaimon was stunned by his unexpected words. In all honesty, Rin had even surprised himself, but he forced his face not to show it as he stared at Yukio with an unwavering gaze.

“That’s why,” The older Okumura adds finally, breaking the tense silence as he leaned back against Amaimon, who slowly wrapped his arms around the younger’s waist. “And… And he loves me.”

“That’s ridiculous! He’s—”

Rin cut his brother off, “In fact! _He_ gifted me the ring. Not myself, not Mephisto. Amaimon. He did. And I accepted it, Yukio, I accepted him. Now why don’t you, for one goddamn time, _try_ and accept _me_! Because if I can fall for this damn tree-head, I _know_ you can find it somewhere to trust me. So… Trust me… Trust me, and my judgement. Just _once_.”

Silence filled the air once more after Rin's desperate plead, as everyone tried to process what was happening, before Yukio finally broke it, putting his guns away as he glared at the two demons.

“How could I _ever_ trust you, when it’s taken you to this point to even consider telling me the truth?” Rin was sure he heard his twin _growl_ , but he wrote it off as his imagination, feeling too guilty for lying all this time to think much about it.

“I-I did want to tell you! But I couldn’t, I knew how you’d react!” Rin tries to explain, but Yukio just turned and stormed off, leading the still stunned class back inside, “Yukio! _Yukio_ , come on!”

“Give him time, dear boy…” The new voice had Rin’s tail tighten around Amaimon’s waist protectively, making the demon king smile just a bit.

“Mephisto…” Rin sighs, realizing it was only him, “I should’ve known. You planned this, didn’t you? Yukio’s never going to speak to me again!”

Mephisto just chuckles, shaking his head as he looked at the two younger demons before him. “Oh, don’t be silly! He just needs processing time, I’m sure!” Then, seeing Rin wasn’t convinced yet, he added, “I’ll speak with him. Just, go spend some time with your newly beloved. I bet he’s quite excited you’ve finally accepted him.” These words prompted a quick nod from the body behind him.

Rin feels his face heat up as it finally dawns on him, that he had, in fact, done that. Before he could say anything else to him though, Mephisto was gone in a puff of smoke, leaving him and Amaimon alone outside. He slowly unwraps his tail from Amaimon, finally conscious of where it was, before turning around in his arms to face him.

“I, um…” Rin starts, unsure of what he was planning on saying, before finally settling on, “I guess, you won…”

The words made Amaimon’s face light up with a grin before he leaned in close and asked, almost too eagerly, “Do I get a reward?”

“Well…” Rin hesitated for a moment, face still a bit red and getting redder, “Aren’t I your reward?”

Amaimon seemed to go quiet in thought, before nodding quickly, and finally closing the space between them without a second thought. His sudden actions earned him a surprised yelp from Rin, before he slowly melted into the kiss, letting his eyes fall shut as his tail comes up to wrap around Amaimon again as his arms did the same.

When Rin slowly pulls away after a moment, he finds his own eyes meeting those of the demon in front of him. Amaimon stared back at Rin with an unidentifiable emotion shining in his eyes, before suddenly dropping his face to Rin’s neck, pressing his lips to the skin as he practically growled out a muffled, yet unmistakable,

“Mine…”

And Rin felt a smile grow on his own face as he nodded, closing his eyes.

“ _Yours_.”

**Author's Note:**

> Not going to lie, this is my first fic for not only this fandom, but this pairing as well, even though I've shipped it for years, so I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I know it was long, forgive me. Please, let me know if you enjoyed it! It took me a few days of ignoring school work to write, so I do hope it came out decent! I apologize if it at all seems rushed at the end, I tried my best not to rush it! I also apologize for any OOC-ness, especially towards the end.
> 
> If you did like this, which I hope you did, keep an eye out for my other works soon to come!


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